Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton surprised his Achilles return will come against Pelicans

Tyrese Haliburton is looking forward to making his grant return to the court for the Indiana Pacers going into the 2026-27 NBA season. Haliburton has gone through rehab over the past year, having torn his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury ended up sidelining him for the entire 2025-26 campaign, giving him a full year of recovery. Haliburton goes through the final stage of rehab as he seeks a solid return to star form for Indiana. The NBA announced the Pacers’ schedule, revealing that the season opener will have them face the New Orleans Pelicans. The star guard expressed shock towards the news, originally thinking that his first game back was going to be at home. “You think that game would be at home, if not on national television… When I saw the schedule, I was like, ‘Oh wow!’ Shoutout Trey Murphy II, love my boy, Trey. Love New Orleans. But I was shocked to see that,” Haliburton said on the Numbers on the Board podcast. What Lies Ahead for Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers Mar 25, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Tyrese Haliburton reacts to a three point shot during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters) The Pacers will greatly miss having Tyrese Haliburton back on the court. Anticipating a solid return from injury rehab, they look forward to a resurgent season. Haliburton nearly willed the Pacers to a championship in 2025, being one win away from reaching the mountaintop before the Achilles injury struck him down. He will look to pick up where he left off, needing to get Indiana back into serious playoff contention. The 2024-25 season was solid for Haliburton, earning All-NBA third team honors. He averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game throughout 73 appearances in the regular season. In the playoffs, he produced 17.3 points, 8.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per contest. The Pacers’ regular season will get underway on the road against the Pelicans. That matchup commences on Oct. 21 as tip-off takes place at 8 p.m. ET. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —